LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

I was hoping I would not have to write this letter concerning the 2007 Oregon Legislature to once again throw OSP Patrol Services funding overboard.

I was hoping I would not have to write this letter concerning the 2007 Oregon Legislature to once again throw OSP Patrol Services funding overboard.

This time it was in the name of providing adequate funding for higher education. I am not at all surprised, as most of the legislators do not deem public safety as a priority, nor have they for the past 27 years.

The Democratic caucus recommended only 100 additional troopers, even though the governor wanted 139. This still leaves the OSP short of enough troopers to provide 24/7 coverage. I am afraid the governor has shown less than the expected leadership in fighting for "his" troopers.

I wrote back to one member of the Legislature to call a professor the next time there is a problem on the freeway and see if he gets any assistance. I must remind those in Salem that there is more to state government than just education. — Lloyd N. Clodfelter, Medford

I will vote against every politician that doesn't admit that they have missed the mark on the immigration issue and change their approach to the problem.

There is one and only one answer; enforce current law! Then deal with the side issues. — Gary Grimes, Medford

Our libraries are closed, no big deal. Our gasoline is $3.50 a gallon, no big deal. We're at war in two countries, no big deal. You want money for schools, roads and police. No big deal.

Hey — I know, instead, let's buy a $33,000 metal fish and put it on a pole! Yeah! Nothing says justice like a dead "kinetic" fish blowing in the wind on a stick in front of the Medford jail! Nice plan guys. It took you three years to decide this. It would take three hours to plant a tree, or three minutes to say no; maybe our money could be better spent. Where are your priorities? If you're going to dedicate our money, dedicate it to something halfway sane.

I say, "Go fish." — Steven Burch, Medford

Danny Jordan's guest opinion on library closures stated, "In 2000, "¦ the county had just received a third guarantee of safety-net funding, and was assured the issue of timber harvests was going to be resolved before the end of the six-year guarantee."

If that is true, when did the commissioners discover funding was unlikely to continue, because that is what their argument supporting Measure 84 later that year said. The argument submitted by Commissioners Holt and Walker said, in part, "Jackson County has experienced numerous revenue losses over the past four years and faces uncertain times in the future. Millions of dollars have been lost in reduced forest receipts and even the best hope for a federal forest safety net would only be good for six years." — Richard Avery, Jacksonville

In 1975, after moving to Medford, I thought, "Gee, as soon as the bike path is finished south of Barnett, I can ride my bike to work at Harry and David."

Thirty-two years later, leading up to retirement, my thoughts turned to, "Gee, I can walk to the library most every day, read magazines, get exercise and save a few bucks in the process." Too humorous not to share. Just lucky, I guess? — Jim DeMont, Medford